Travel insurance is an absolute must when it comes to Schengen visa applications. Tourist and business applications will almost certainly be rejected if the insurance policy does not meet any one of the fundamental requirements.

One of the fundamentals is the geographical area of cover. One of the most common mistakes made is taking out a policy that only covers France. A Schengen visa gives access to the other 25 countries in the Schengen region, therefore the policy MUST cover all of them.

The policy certificate must show each applicant’s full name, the policy number and the period of cover. Currently the minimum amount of cover required is £30,000 and the policy small print should mention that the insurance covers repatriation.

The period of cover MUST cover every day of your proposed trip. If your policy fails to cover a single day, your application will be rejected.

If your bank or building society provides your travel insurance, ensure that you supply a current bank statement or recent correspondence from that bank to validate that the account is still active, especially if you are using a different account for proof of finances.

If your travel insurance cover is provided by your employer for business trips, you must supply, a copy of the company’s blanket policy and schedule – the schedule should mention that all employees are covered by the policy or list the name of those covered. (usually personal travel insurance policies are accepted as part of business applications)

Providing that the policy meets the fundamental requirements, the grade of cover (Bronze, silver, gold, platinum) has little or no bearing on the length of visa issued, however, annual travel insurance policies improve the chances of a longer term visa – Single trip travel insurance will result in a single trip visa.